All smiles in anticipation of the Whole Enchilada.
After a pleasant night sleeping in cool temps and a nice breeze, we awoke at 5 a.m. to get another early start. Jackets and vests came in handy for the 40+ MPH downhill ride from our camp site to the approach to the Whole Enchilada (UPS –> LPS –> Porcupine Rim). While this is not the “official” Kokopelli Trail route, it is commonly done and WAY more fun than the ride down Sand Flats Road. It’s a no brainer. We also had no plans to ride from Negro Bill Canyon into Moab—been there done that. The descent down Mountain Loop Road was chilly as expected, and soon we turned right to head up Sand Flats Road and we were climbing again, this time on paved road, as we followed the RV all the way up, through multiple steep switchbacks.
Lunch atop the mesa was breezy and chilly. Other parties were gearing up for their rides down Porcupine while we refueled and prepared for our finish. Once we were all ready, we dropped in and rolled the initial mile or so until the upper slickrock technical section came up, which was seriously a lot of fun, especially now that I have a dropper seat post, which I used more than I shifted. Soon we transitioned into the LPS single-track, and eventually we were on the Rim. It never gets old. We dropped and freerode like never before, eventually winding down through Negro Bill Canyon and meeting up with Rick and the RV. Smile, beers, food, showers, all awaited us in the freshly restocked RV. We enjoyed the high of the moment, then headed into Moab for some real food. Our plan was then to camp at Road 18 in Fruita to setup a short sesh on Zippety Do Daa Saturday morning, but unfortunately, many others had a similar idea, and the campground was packed. We took the hint and decided to drive home earlier than planned, arriving back at the Park-n-Ride at about 2:00 a.m. I crawled into bed overwhelmed with emotions and fatigue. As I drifted into sleep, my thoughts brought me back to the trail as I tried to debrief what had just happened.
We can see our route down below
Lots of opportunities for navigation
I climbed that beast
Classic Team Pic
Chris going for it
The Porcupine Rim
Last hurrah down to Negro Bill
Colorado River first sighting
